Ice King
by Isis Lied
Summary: AU In this permanent frost, this eternal winter, could we be something more? The snow clings like a veil until I'm buried alive, trapped in a forest of ice. You've given your answer— Rin/Izumo
1. Chapter 1- Heartbeat

Ice King

AU In this permanent frost, this eternal winter, could we be something more? The snow clings like a veil until I'm buried alive, trapped in a forest of ice. You've given your answer— Rin/Izumo

Rating: T+ for profanity and gore

Genre: Horror, Romance, Angst, and some Comedy

Disclaimer: I do not own Blue Exorcist

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Chapter 1- Heartbeat

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_Death is cold._

Laced in ice pearls and rich white velvet, the young miko took a final glance at her appearance in the silver hand mirror. Her purple hair had been tied up in an elegant bun, a few curled locks splayed out just below her ears. A thin sheen of gloss covered her lips, followed by a swipe of blush on her cheekbones. Finally, there was the mess of peacock feathers that traced her collarbone as a beautiful necklace.

Alone in her room, she let out a hollow laugh. The image in the mirror made her sick; she wanted to break the glass, to shatter the illusion of the elegant woman dressed in embroidered silk and crystal. But there wasn't enough time. There was never enough time. Already, she could hear the beat of the drums, the powerful rhythm that matched the roaring organ between her ribcage.

_Thud._

_I'm going to die. _She fixed a fake smile on her powdered face, taking the first few steps towards the sliding tatami door.

_Thud._

_Who will take care of Tsukumo? _With trembling hands she pressed the door open, revealing a small group of people dressed in white. From among the faces she saw the cheery visage of her mother who looked to be the happiest in seeing her young daughter off.

_Thud._

_I only got eighteen years. _"Izumo!" A young voice called from the crowd. She saw her young sister, tears rolling down her cherubic face. A few of the villagers crowded the child, ushering her away from the area where the ceremony would take place.

"Tsukumo…" She whispered, unable to do anything as her sister disappeared in the crowd. The purple-haired miko had to keep her head forward, chin up, eyes steady. _But I'm scared… so scared. _

_Thud._

_I hope the demons curse them ten-fold. _The walk down the faded stepping stones ended at the edge of the cliff, where a mighty tempest swirled underneath. Izumo continued to look forward, even as the head priest began to speak.

"God of Gehenna, we offer you the pure soul of Izumo Kamiki. With this loss may you shed your benevolence upon us and keep our village safe. The shrine of Inari has always been a friend to you deities who had once been peaceful and quiescent, but now ravage the fields with pestilence and war. May this sacrifice appease you for some seasons, until you wish for another soul."

_The final thud. _

_Goodbye, Tsukumo… _Silence followed. The priest wrapped the silver beads around her throat, tangling them in the peacock feathers. Two men from the village took a hold of her arm, leading her closer to the rocky precipice. They jingled noisily with every step, the only break in the near suffocating silence.

Hands clasped together, a final plea escaped her lips. _Anyone, please, if you hear this, come save me. I don't want to die. Not now, not for these horrible people. Please… _

And then she was pushed forward. Falling into the murky abyss, she found that the beads had slipped away from her neck, floating just a few inches before her. Eyes heavy, she reached a single hand towards them, feeling the smooth spheres against her fingers. But the water was cold and the harder she struggled to reach the surface, the more she felt the sea's tug against her lithe form. It was a lethargy that seeped into her bones like the coldness of the waves, unstoppable and frightening.

Darkness soon followed.

* * *

Staring down at the parchment, a blue-haired demon furrowed his brows, confusion straining the contours of his face. "Damn that clown and all his stupid fanciness… what the hell is he trying to say?"

A knock at the door signaled the arrival of his brown-haired brother, a tray of tea balanced in his free hand. "Nii-san, you know how politics work. He's just trying to get a rise from you." It was obvious that the bespectacled man had heard his mutterings as he placed the teapot on a nearby table.

"Well it's working. I'm tired of this shit; why do we even have domains again?" He whined, putting the paper down in exchange for a porcelain cup. Taking a quick, careless sip, the demon hissed in pain.

"Too hot, too hot— ack, help me Yukio!"

The man in question merely shook his head, reaching for the paper his brother had abandoned. Cerulean orbs traced over the heavy ink until he let out a sigh, turning his attention to Rin.

"Sometimes, I wonder how you're ranked ahead of me." He said, although there was no actual animosity to be found. The reason was fairly simple; demons, at least those in the lineage of Baal, were ranked first for power, then age. Being both younger and born with only a bright intelligence, not blue flames, left him to scrap the bottom of the hierarchy at ten while Rin was elevated a bit further, at nine. But Yukio was sure that in time Rin would manage to overtake his brothers, given ample time and training.

Still, his brother showed no interest in politics and even less in climbing up the social ladder, so to speak. He was fine ranked at nine, with no real aspirations to change his standing in the line of Baal. He was fine with them being the death-bringers, the reapers, the collectors of human souls, as his older brothers called them. In reality, they had no real domain under them, just a hodgepodge of assorted titles and miscellaneous jobs.

Being ranked ninth and tenth, both brothers were given random duties and assignments of stronger princes. Most notably, they held the true titles of Gate-keeper, as both Samael and Azazel (who had once worked together, begrudgingly, to keep their domains strong) had passed on their least favorite job to them: soul-collecting. It was a fairly simple process; they were to collect all the souls that landed in Gehenna and bring them to Satan, without question.

_In other words, we're Gehenna's errand boys… _He thought somewhat bitterly, returning his attention to the letter.

Adjusting his glasses, Yukio spoke, "Nii-san, this letter is a warning; Samael will be visiting soon."

"W-what? Let me see it!" Rin snatched the letter away, reading the lines again, slower this time. At the very bottom, past the elegant script and haughty vocabulary, was a few lines written in pink ink.

The blue-haired man then read it out loud, a slow horror creeping upon him, "P.S. Dear otoutos, I have finished up business in Assiah and am ready to return to Gehenna, if only for a little while. I'll be visiting the whole family, but I've decided to stop by you two first! How lucky, ne~? Until then, I send you my happiest regards and hope to see you both in good health!"

"So it seems we'll need to prepare a room… how troublesome." The brown-haired demon mused, already setting the ink and quill on the table. Ah, it was definitely going to be a hectic week; getting the mansion ready for Samael's arrival, ordering the servants around, the poor man could feel a headache forming already.

_Anyone, please, if you hear this, come save me. _A voice echoed in the twin's heads. Rin shifted forward, a thin frown pressing against his lips.

"Nii-san, don't do it. You can't save everyone." Yukio warned.

_I don't want to die._ The voice whispered again, fading.

The blue-haired king let out a growl of frustration before darting out of the room despite his brother's pleas.

"Sorry, Yukio! But, I've got a feeling about this one!" He shouted back, willing himself to where the souls were kept. In moments the blue-haired man was standing above a sea of souls, the bright lights twinkling with fervor. Wading into the pool, Rin searched frantically, dipping his head into the waters.

_Not now, not for these horrible people. Please… _

Following the sound of the voice, he found a particularly frail soul, its light flickering dimly, reminiscent of an injured glow-fly. Leaping from the sea with the light, he waited, cupping the soul in his hands. In an attempt to encourage the soul to life, he let out some of his flames, bathing the white orb in a cobalt hue. _Live, _he thought, focusing the flames to its center. Slowly, the soul unraveled until Rin rolled it gently to the ground.

A bright light followed as he shielded his eyes, straining to see the figure that emerged from the soul. A young woman appeared from the light, dressed in thick embroidered fabric. She was unconscious, hair and dress still damp from her time in the lake of souls. Wordlessly, the demon picked her up, carrying her gently to his chest.

"You better be worth the crap I'll get from Yukio…" He muttered, taking a better look at the woman. She clung subconsciously to his warmth, soft breaths escaping her lips. She seemed too soft, too vulnerable to be a soul condemned to Gehenna. The demon shook his head; no soul ended up in Gehenna by mistake.

* * *

Upon entering the mansion, Rin was met with the presence of his younger brother, who had taken to sitting by the empty fireplace, a worn book propped in his lap.

"Well?" He questioned, flipping the book shut. It was apparent that he was _very _angry.

Rin gulped. An angry Yukio was a force to be reckoned with. "She's asleep so I don't know yet—"

"You have to stop being so reckless, nii-san. Remember the last time you 'rescued' a soul from the lake?" Yukio interrupted, a serious expression on his face.

"That guy was scum. He just had a really convincing voice!" Rin retorted back, moving to place the girl onto the sofa. Rummaging around, he returned with a blanket, draping it over the girl's shivering form.

The lowest parts of Gehenna were no place for human souls. The cold frigidness of the area, blanketed in ice and snow, could snuff out even the brightest of lights. It was a land of death that he and his brother reluctantly called their domain and even more reluctantly called their home.

Using his flames to light the fireplace, Rin sighed in time with his brother. Yukio gave a small glare, but remained in his seat, thoughts turned to a particular… problem.

"Nii-san, you really didn't think this through."

"W-what do you mean?"

"Samael— or does he go by Mephisto Pheles now; I always forget. He will be here in three days. If he finds out you saved her—"

"I know, geeze! We'll both be sent to stand trial in front of Satan!" Rin snapped, only to have his anger dissolve momentarily at the sound of a feminine voice.

"W-Where's my sister? W-where's Tsukumo?!"

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Elsewhere, a certain demon king of Space and Time whistled a little tune, only stopping at the sight of his green-haired brother.

"Amaimon, what a pleasant surprise. Have you finally decided to come with me to visit the twins?"

The demon nodded. "Yah, Assiah was getting a bit boring. But, I saw the letter. Why did you lie about when you were coming?

His words brought a chuckle to the man's lips. "I always like catching them off guard~! They make the most wonderful faces of surprise! Hahaha, besides, I have a feeling they're hiding something from me."

Amaimon cocked his head to the side. "How so?"

"Well, the number of human souls in Gehenna is decreasing. It's a small shift and over a long period of time, but the number is definitely going down. Now, I know that the corruption and debauchery of Assiah is still in full swing, so these numbers can only be explained if one of the twins were to be helping souls cross back over to Assiah."

"Isn't the penalty for disobeying Satan death?" He questioned casually, sticking a lollipop into his mouth.

"It is. Oh, what naughty half-brothers I have~!" He grinned, disappearing through the Gehenna Gate. Amaimon followed at his heels, pulling Behemoth with him through the familiar portal.

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A/N: I seem to be in a Rin/Izumo mood, lol. I know there aren't too many long fics for this pairing so I hope to contribute a little bit, even if it is an AU ^^' Oh, and for the record, Tsukumo is not an OC; she appeared in the later chapters of the manga and is confirmed to be Izumo's little sister, as seen in last chapter's flashback.

*otouto= younger brother, informal; Mephy calls Amaimon that a lot in the anime.

Next chap expect some demon politics, more Izumo!angst, and a visit from our favorite violet-haired trickster :P

_**Review?**_

-Isis


	2. Chapter 2- Sealed

Chapter 2- Sealed

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"Where is she?! Tsukumo?!" The woman snapped again, rising to a sitting position. The world spun as she fell forward, fingers curled into the upholstery of the couch. Her head ached, she felt unbelievably cold, and she had no idea where she was. Still, she fought against her pain and confusion, trying to lift herself from the sofa. The effort it took just to stand on her shaking legs was too much and she fell back again, limp and doll-like against the cushioned seat. Her breaths came out in short gasps as if she were still fighting to breathe in the murky abyss of the sea.

"H-hey, calm down! We just fished you out of the lake! You need to rest!" Rin warned, draping the blanket around the girl's shivering frame once more. Realizing that the blanket was barely doing anything to keep her warm, the demon clicked his tongue, setting out a single hand.

"Hold still." He closed his eyes, focusing his power. Immediately, blue flames danced across her skin, warm and gentle in their caress.

The girl let out a short cry of fear but remained still, transfixed by the demon's flames. Eventually, her whole body felt warm and relaxed, a strange calmness seeping into her despite the situation.

Once she managed to find her voice she looked directly at the blue-haired man. "You said... you found me in a lake. How? I was thrown into the ocean." Her voice felt rough, unused, words weighing heavy on her tongue. Even forming simple sentences caused her brain to ache, eyes stricken by brilliant glimmers of light.

"Hmm? Oh, you must be talking about how ya died. I meant that I fished you from the lake of souls before you were sent off to Satan."

He paused, a confused look on his face. "Wait, did you say you were thrown? How did you end up in Gehenna if you were murdered?"

"I was a sacrifice." She stated simply, squeezing her eyes shut to block out the ever-present stars of light that peppered her vision. The pain caused a sudden shudder to wrack her gentle frame, the only true indicator of the turmoil in her mind.

Rin's gaze softened. "Don't worry, we won't take you to Satan—"

"Nii-san, don't make promises you can't keep." Yukio finally warned, green-blue eyes analyzing the woman before them. It wasn't that he was any colder than his brother, he was just a realist. And in reality, every time Rin decided to save someone from the lake it was another chance for them to be caught.

"Damn it, Yukio! How many people have we helped in the time we've been Gatekeepers?" Rin responded harshly, the flames that had once circled protectively around the shivering girl now burning brighter. They flickered back, pooling together into a line before disappearing into the demon's pale skin, fusing into the cobalt veins of his arms. Izumo watched with weary eyes, the whole situation seeming like some horribly lucid dream.

She couldn't believe she was in the lowest pits of Gehenna, truly dead and at the mercy of these bickering demon twins. It was almost a humorous situation; enough that a twisted laugh escaped her lips. Her sanity broken, the laughs slowly ebbed away until only a feeling of bitterness remained. If there were two things she regretted it was not being able to make sure Tsukumo was safe and not bringing the whole fucking village with her to burn. Neither brother noticed her sudden outburst, both caught up in their own tumultuous emotions.

"Five-hundred and seventy four." Yukio's response came back smoothly, face impassive. Yes, he had counted every soul Rin had _saved_. He did so to manage the flow of humans returning to, well... wherever humans souls that didn't go to Gehenna went. Even at their rank, they knew only of Assiah and Gehenna. If anything such as a Heaven existed, it was knowledge withheld from all demons— minus the King of Baal himself. The tenth demon king was brought out of his reverie as his brother cursed, hands balled tightly at his sides.

"I know the risk, Yukio. I know— but there's a chance that we could find her." His voice, softer than before, caused the brown-haired demon to turn away. Rin held to a fumbling fool's dream that they could someday find and save the soul that had burned on the night of their birth: the soul of their mother.

"So you'll just save others until then? Any who plead and beg loud enough just on the off chance it could be a woman we have never even met? You'd risk our lives for her?!" Yukio's tone increased in volume with every word, the once calm, aloof facade breaking under the stress of his brother's rash actions. His demonic traits, which usually never presented themselves, awakened in the form of clawed hands, fangs, and pointed ears.

"She's our mother!" Rin roared back, forgetting the purple-haired woman on the sofa as he charged at his younger brother, eyes turned to slits. He grabbed him by the shoulders before the younger demon even had time to react, yanking his collar up so they were face to face.

"Don't you dare act like you don't fucking care! She's the reason we have these emotions, why we're different from every other demon in Gehenna!" Rin suddenly unclenched his hands, releasing his brother with a growl. He stepped back, returning calmer, colder flames to Izumo and a short, though sincere apology.

Yukio remained silent, head tipped down in thought, emotions once again safely buried away. Inwardly, the brown-haired demon didn't have the heart to tell Rin how much he looked like his father when he was angered, of how much his actions contradicted his words.

_You inherited more than his flames, Rin…_

"Fine… Just remember, Samael should be here soon."

The sudden shift in conversation sparked confusion in the young demon. "Soon? Didn't he say he'd be over in exactly three days?"

Yukio sighed. "It's Samael. He's been called by many names in Assiah, all relating to gods of trickery and mischief. Knowing him, he'll be here sooner. "

Rin could only nod in agreement. Out of all their siblings, Samael was the craftiest. A wild card in every sense of the word, they still had no idea if he was on Assiah's or Gehenna's side. At the moment he was Satan's prodigal son, more or less (not to say that he was ever loyal to the King of Baal) as he spent more time in Assiah than Gehenna and made his love of Assiah widely known.

The two demons returned their attention to the silent girl on the sofa. She had curled up in the blanket, looking infinitely small and weak, dwarfed by the fabric and blue flames.

"So, Miss…?" Yukio started, realizing that no introductions had been done.

"Izumo Kamiki."

Both twins nodded. "I'm Yukio," he paused to motion towards the dark-haired man, "this hot-head over here is my older brother, Rin. We're Gatekeepers. We watch over the lake of souls, where human souls first enter into Gehenna.

"H-hey, I'm not a hot-head!" Rin quipped, giving an annoyed glare.

Yukio sighed. "Whatever you say, nii-san…" He trailed off, adjusting his glasses.

"Does that mean you can tell me if my sister, Tsukumo, is safe? We don't normally do ceremonies until every eighteen years but—"

The brown-haired demon shook his head. "I'm afraid that we can only watch souls that are already in Gehenna; unless your sister followed you immediately, we'd have no way to check on her. It would be better if we didn't see her, in actuality."

Rin piped up as well, "Yah, the only one who can look at souls that are in Assiah is Samael—"

"Let me talk to him! I need to know… I need to know if my sacrifice was justified. If Tsukumo won't be killed."

The twins exchanged looks, both silently agreeing with each other. Rin was the first to speak up. "Uh, that's probably not a good idea."

"Why not?" She snapped, the blinding lights finally fading from her vision. Seeing clearly, she found that both twins looked more human than demon, to her chagrin. They looked to be around her age, if not a little older. Somehow, the revelation caused knots to form in her stomach; it would be easier to hate them, to hate all of Gehenna if the monsters that inhabited the land looked more like beasts than everyday people.

"He would take you to Satan. And we would be punished, severely." Yukio explained. Samael was the last demon either wanted to see at the moment. While the younger twin knew that he had hid the stealing of souls well, it was only a matter of time before their older half-brother caught on.

Before the conversation could continue, a servant rushed to Rin's side, bowing deeply. "I'm sorry, milord, but we've been informed that your elder brother, Samael, has been spotted just outside your domain."

Rin's eyes narrowed. "What is he using to get around?"

"A demon carriage. At last glance he was going at a leisurely pace, however, and should arrive at the mansion in a few hours."

The twin's immediately turned to Izumo, each sporting similar expressions of worry. There could be no worse time to hide a human.

* * *

Ushered into a large guest room despite her pleas, the purple-haired woman found herself alone with a single servant, door securely locked. The room was draped in gold and shades of purple, a living space comparable to that of a king or someone of equal power and authority. For a moment, the young miko was transfixed by the obvious show of wealth, never once witnessing anything as fancy or rich in her life at the traditional Inari shrine.

The servant, who also seemed much more human than demon gave a short curtsy, brown locks cascading over her eyes. "My apologies, Kamiki-san. The lords have requested you stay in this room until the King of Time and Space has taken his leave. You may ask me of anything, other than to leave this room, of course."

Izumo nodded slowly, the anger that she had felt being shoved into the room fading with the sight of the familiar face. The short brown hair, dark eyes, sincere smile…

"Paku? Don't you remember me? We grew up at the shrine together. And then one day you disappeared." She stopped, noticing that the woman's eyes were empty. There wasn't even a hint of recognition in her expression.

She shook her head. "I'm sorry, Kamiki-san. But since being here, I've lost many of my memories of my life in Assiah. I was rescued by Rin as well—but, for whatever reason, I decided to stay here. My memory of Assiah faded as time pressed on. If we were friends, which I don't doubt, then I hope I left you with happy memories." She gave a sad grin, eyes cast to the floor.

Izumo remained silent.

* * *

"Rin, Yukio, it's absolutely wonderful to see you two again~! My, how you've grown!" The violet-haired demon grinned sharply. Amaimon followed silently into the foyer, ordering Behemoth to wait outside. The hobgoblin whined pitifully, but obeyed, plopping down onto the snow-trodden ground. Inwardly, both twins felt some remorse for the poor familiar who was to be left alone in the cold.

"Samael, it is a pleasure to see you as well." Yukio said sweetly, ushering the demon inside. Rin grunted in affirmation, a shaky smile pressed upon his lips.

"Now, now, call me Mephisto! It's the name I go by in Assiah, after all." He insisted, making himself at home in the demon's drawing room. He took a seat in one of the plush armchairs, eyes scanning the mahogany desk. A laugh suddenly escaped his throat; he could spot his letter on the desk, the pink ink making it impossible to miss. Amaimon plopped down beside him unceremoniously, chewing on his thumbnail in his usual apathetic fashion.

"We weren't expecting you so soon, Sam— I mean, Mephisto. We would have prepared a room for you if we were notified earlier." Yukio admitted, surprised to see the demon shake off his apology with the wave of his hand.

"In truth, I had no intentions of staying here for the night; I'm actually here to return something to Rin." The prince turned his attention to the uncharacteristically quiet youth, winking.

Rin shuffled back in surprise, cobalt eyes narrowing. "What are ya talking about?"

"Surely you remember, dear brother, what I did for you all those years ago. I'm coming back to return the favor, you see."

"You don't mean—"

Mephisto interrupted smoothly, "I've kept your demon heart safe, Rin. But I think you're old enough to take care of it now. It is your choice: to either keep your heart sealed in the sword or… break it and take the power needed to ascend the rank of Baal."

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A/N: Sorry for any OOC-ness for Yukio ^^' His personality is a bit different in this AU, but his changes will be justified XD Anyway, some actual politics will be discussed and we'll get more of a look on how Gehenna is run/ how domains are separated (at least from my headcanons, lol). Oh, and the whole Mephy and the sword thing will be explained, so stay tuned :P

_**Review?**_

-Isis


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